The apostle Paul was an excellent student of culture, and he was a master at appropriately functioning within different cultures. In Athens, Paul used his cultural awareness to present the gospel of Jesus Christ. Notice that Paul didn’t change the gospel message, he simply identified an element of their culture – i.e., the altar to the “Unknown God” – then utilized that to identify the unknown God for them. Don Richardson did something very similar among the Sawi of New Guinea, which is recounted in the book Peace Child.
This week’s lesson helps you see cultural anthropology in action, particularly in a Christian context.
As you meditate on this week’s passage and discussion:
- Think about your culture and your church within that culture.
- Use 2-3 paragraphs to explain in detail how your church uses elements of the culture to reach people in its surroundings?
- Perhaps you have ideas on how your church could be more culturally aware or informed.
- How could your ideas improve your church’s cultural effectiveness?
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